The second round of the Innisfil Cup Claiming Series for trotters featured three more divisions on Friday night in preparation for next week’s $25,000 (added) final at Georgian Downs
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E L Miss Pom, a runner-up in her first leg division, survived a first-over journey to win tonight’s first $12,000 division with Simon Allard. The favoured son of Wonder Worker One-Pom Derable remained parked out to the opening quarter in :28.4 put up by Malachi Three Ten (Steve Byron) before tucking into fourth.
Eugene Lavictoire (Reg Gassien) pulled the pocket and took over the lead during the second interval while Striking Lightning (Dan Clements) launched an attack from third with E L Miss Pom following his cover to the half in :59.1. Striking Lighting struck the front, but E L Miss Pom surged ahead past three-quarters in 1:28.2. The Rene Allard pupil then cruised home in :29.4 to secure a seven and three-quarter length lead in a time of 1:58.1 while Striking Lightning finished back in second and Westend Volo (Tony Kerwood) picked up third.
E L Miss Pom earned her fifth win of her five-year-old campaign in 26 outings for Rene, who shares ownership with John Nother of Brampton, Ont. and Sherwin Edwards of Terrebonne, Que.
Three-year-old trotting filly Windsong Felicity, the 7-2 second choice, pulled off a front-end score in the next division providing teamster Dan Clements with his fourth win on the card. The Via Blaze-Beautys Hyakutake filly stepped around early leaver Lexis Ebba (Steve Byron) at the :29.2 first quarter and carved out the remaining splits of :59.2 and 1:28.2 en route to a 1:59.1 victory by a length and a half. Favourite Blueridge Maple (Simon Allard) journeyed first-over to get second and Zorgwijk Impact (Aaron Byron) rounded out the top three.
Unraced at two, Windsong Felicity scored her fifth win in 18 starts for trainer Mike Sinclair and owners Steve Organ of Aurora and Rosemary Shelswell of Cookstown, Ont. She finished third in her opening round division.
Team Allard returned to victory lane in the final division with leg one winner Coup De Foudre. The odds-one favourite left alertly from the six-hole and put up a :29.1 first quarter before yielding to Bumpas Bankin Onit (Steve Byron) during the second panel.
The five-year-old daughter of Victorys Force-Myra Angus and Simon Allard pulled the pocket and reclaimed the lead after the :58.4 half. She was faced with a challenge from her fellow leg one winner I Dont Know Mo (Dave Boughton) after passing three-quarters in 1:28.4, but Coupe De Foudre refused to give way and held on for the half-length score in 1:59.3. Coup Sur (Dan Clement) finished back in third.
Rene Allard trains and owns the winner of eight races in 25 seasonal starts.
The Series, for non-winners of $60,0000 lifetime as of October 15, 2009, will conclude next Saturday at Georgian with a $25,000 (added) final.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click here.